OK, some of the tricks can be faked, as demonstrated by the first video, but I think the point of some of these "tricks" is being missed.... the point is not the trick itself, but the body skills required to perform the "trick".

How do you account for the bottle, assume its a transfer of the shock caused by the bottle (nearly empty), in some manner???? The wine inside causing the force of the descruction.... or carbonated perhaps... (completely disavowing the possibility)

Not sure what to think of the eye or throat demonstrations. Would never consider doing the eye thing no matter what the point, too inherently dangerous....

Assume clenching the eyelids will meaningfully tighten the skin there, making it a harder surface, but not enough (cannot envision it) ever being sufficently hard that I'd allow anybody to push against anything until it bent....

Dumb, dumb, dumb...

Identical principle with the iron bar and the throat.... even assuming its an alternate angle (then we realize/perceive it to be) it is a really good demonstration... cannot figure out the mechancs that would make that work...

Rod is too high to press/utilize the sternum to initiate the bend. Neither had their hands on the thing, but even if they did

Chinese wine (like sake - made from rice, but different fermentation agents and process) is not carbonated. Explain that one. It's basically transference of force.

As for the eye trick... note the "padding" on the end - sits nicely over the eye socket.... BUT... still requires some skill to be able to withstand such forces.

As for throat... there are ways to toughen the connective tissue in that area to withstand some force, but for forces of that nature involved in bending an iron bar, that still requires some sort of strength/development.

My friend's dad has worked in some sort of woodworking envoirnment for almost his whole life, and he can pound a nail into a board with his hand. Was it cool? Yes, does it mean my friend's dad is an X degree blackbelt? No.

Can the evolution of his hand to that point give you an advantage in martial arts? Yes.

A good, clear demonstration would be to show what actually happens in class in an abbreviated form with emphasis on self-defense. That way, you only attract students likely to stick with the training, since training is what you are offering, not tricks and gimmicks. You will attract a better class of students that way.

<<Chinese wine (like sake - made from rice, but different fermentation agents and process) is not carbonated.

Understood, was hypothesizing perhaps a little ADDED carbonation to the bottle in order to make the explosion so ~dramatic~. Assumed it was likely some type of simple shockwave type transfer...

<<As for the eye trick... note the "padding" on the end - sits nicely over the eye socket....

Saw it too and to me seems insane. Im certain training is required but... yikes. Accidentally injured my eye years ago, it never healed. Cannot conceive being that blase about em ever again....

<<As for throat... there are ways to toughen the connective tissue in that area to withstand some force

Fascia in that area??? Sufficent amount that could be toughened....? The cartiledge certainly isn't that thick, how does this work I love the demonstration, cannot understand how it is achieved, but do like that one.

What are some of the others that are odd/unusual but done, I wonder???